Barbados vs Heard and McDonald Islands

Barbados is 19% larger than Heard and McDonald Islands.

BarbadosHeard and McDonald IslandsBarbados moved onto Heard and McDonald Islands · Equal-area projection
1.19×
Barbados is 1.19× the area of Heard and McDonald Islands.
BarbadosHeard and McDonald Islands
Area439 km²368 km²
Population282,623
Density644 / km²
CapitalBridgetown
RegionCaribbeanSeven seas (open ocean)
CoastlineHas a coastHas a coast
Neighbours00

Why the map you grew up with disagrees

On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. Barbados sits at about 13°N and is stretched to 1.05× its true area; Heard and McDonald Islands at 53° S is stretched to 2.77×. That difference is why Heard and McDonald Islands looks so much bigger than it is next to Barbados. The figure above uses the Equal Earth projection, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.

Questions about this pair

Is Barbados bigger than Heard and McDonald Islands?
Yes. Barbados is 19% larger than Heard and McDonald Islands. Barbados covers 439 km² and Heard and McDonald Islands covers 368 km².
How many times does Heard and McDonald Islands fit into Barbados?
About 1.2 times: Barbados has 1.19× the area of Heard and McDonald Islands.
Why do Barbados and Heard and McDonald Islands look different on Google Maps?
Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. Barbados is drawn about 1.05× its true area there and Heard and McDonald Islands about 2.77×. That is why Heard and McDonald Islands looks so much bigger than it really is next to Barbados. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.